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Zechariah 7 (ESV)

8 And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” 11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. 12 They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts. 13 “As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the Lord of hosts, 14 “and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate.”

REFLECTION:

• As the truth proclaimed in Micah 6:8, verses 8-10 summarise true worship into two aspects: 1. Upholding righteousness and justice (9a); 2. Practising love and mercy in practical life (9b-10). It can be seen that if people only talk about love without actual actions of love, it is just as if they have only a spiritual appearance but no spiritual reality. This is abhorrent to God.
• The prophet recalled the history of the betrayal of the chosen people in the past (11-14), and reiterated that the torture of captivity was the consequence of sin, and hoped that the people would actively accept this warning (13, see 1:2-4). Zechariah explained to the people that their ancestors hardened their hearts and brought upon themselves the wrath of God. No matter what sin a person commits, the second offense will come more naturally because the heart is hardened. Ignoring or heeding God’s warnings will harden our sinful hearts every time. Reading the Bible and applying God’s Word to our lives, the touch and obedience to God’s Word, will soften our hearts and enable us to live according to God’s standards.

PRAYER:

Dear God! Please forgive me for my laziness in spiritual pursuits in the past, and I did not earnestly please You and satisfy Your heart. May the Holy Spirit remind me and the Lord’s words correct me, so that I will live according to God’s standards, that I will practice love and compassion, and be Your honest and sincere children.

HYMN:

Change My Heart O God – youtu.be/3n5VIV47Q8g